THE PRESENT

It took longer to figure it out than it should have, probably because nobody could think clearly. Whenever any of you have even the slightest hint of a lewd thought, it becomes a raging inferno of need. Sometimes you can control it enough to flee to a room to handle it solo, and sometimes there’s no stopping it, which is terrifying.

Things have happened, like last night. Someone lit the flame and came to your room; you woke the house up, everyone else read between the lines, and intrusive thoughts did the rest.

It’s been a long, exhausting, uncomfortable week with a lot of awkwardness and very little eye contact. Your curtains are open. It’s morning. Your bed smells like an orgy and feels damp and disgusting. You aren’t alone, but it seems like most of them have prudently retreated to their rooms. Sometimes being careful and taking precautions can help. Everyone dresses modestly now whenever possible, for example. No one really wants to contemplate the long-term implications of any of this.

You’re sore and dehydrated, as usual. You roll over gingerly.

Rey slumbers beside you. You see just enough of her back to know who it is; with that, you shut your eyes and roll back over. It’s deeply ironic that Rey has, on top of all the other things about her that you find less than charming, a flat butt. Even so, if you look, it will happen. You reach out blindly and prod her.

She groans. “What?”

“Beat it.”

She makes a frustrated noise that comes dangerously close to being cute. “What happened?” she mumbles into your pillow, which she must have stolen in the night. “Who started it?”

You rub your face and keep your eyes closed. “Look, man. I just work here.”

She hits you with the pillow and climbs out of bed. You hear her yawn and stretch as she picks up her clothes from the floor and leaves. You sit up and put your face in your hands. You are drained, but relieved. Chaos in the night like that is good. It’s exhausting, and exhausted people don’t get frisky as quickly. It was also dark and impossible to know exactly what was happening, which is also good. It’s when it happens in the middle of the day with the lights on that things get really uncomfortable. You get to your feet and stretch, drink a bottle of water from your strategic stash, and do a couple of pushups before putting on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Of everyone in the family, you are clearly the one most vulnerable to getting turned on by sight, but you still have to cover your chest, and when Nadia is around, your arms. You’ve learned a lot in a week about the various turn-ons in this family.